Smoke, Fire & Brew IL
Rating
1644
peak 1644 · rated over 19 contests
Best runs
6
straight top-10s · 3 straight GCs
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
2019-05-03
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#870
Master 2019
Grand champs
5
3 reserve
Category wins
8
20 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
of 23 contests
Avg finish
top 20%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
379.63 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 349.65 (+29.98)
Walk rate
83%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
7
and counting
Best single call
178.8572
Consistency
±46.70
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.38 · weakest Brisket (164.35)
Road miles
1747
mi across 22 mapped stops · furthest 221 mi
Schedule strength
38%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1533)
Purse competed for
$103K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
3 🏅
GCs in 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
671.72 / 720
3 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
349.65 / 360
17 Backyard contests · 5 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has finished one call ahead of Smoke, Fire & Brew 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
T Daddys BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Furlongs Smoke & Seafood has come out ahead in 5 of their 7 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of SmokinGhost BBQ in 9 of their 10 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Best of the Midwest BBQ is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 3 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0112 points of the Grand Championship at Best of the Midwest BBQ (2021-10-22).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 40-team field at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, Furlongs Smoke & Seafood has out-cooked them in 6 of 7 shared chicken entries.
📈 Riding a hot streak
Currently on a 6-contest overall top-10 run.
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 1 of 22 at their very first tracked contest, Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY) ().
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026-06-19).
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 9 | 6 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Risky Brisket | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| DB BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKRASTINATORS | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Good Grefe! | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Stone Cold Grillers | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| THE GREAT PIG IN THE SKY | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 177.7028 | 164.5372 | 170.38 | top 18% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 178.8572 | 155.3944 | 168.96 | top 24% |
| Pork | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 178.2972 | 160.5256 | 169.56 | top 35% |
| Brisket | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.6800 | 155.3944 | 164.35 | top 50% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 11 | 4 | top 20% |
| WI | 9 | 1 | top 19% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 4 | top 16% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 1 | top 24% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Midwest BBQ | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 4% | 2022-10-14 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 16% | 2023-06-17 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 25% | 2022-06-11 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 29% | 2022-06-10 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2022 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (13 of 23 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (23 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY) (null)
- Wins it all in 22% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 671.72 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 349.65 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 — First tracked contest · Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 — First call · Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY)
- 🏆 — First Grand Championship · Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY)
- ⭐ 2019-05-03 — Career-best overall score (681.6344) · Route 66 Smoke Out
- 📈 2026-06-19 — Peak power rating (1644) · Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2019-07-19 |
| +14.5 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | 2022-06-24 |
| +13.7 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2020-10-16 |
| +13.4 | Hog Capital Challenge | 2019-06-14 |
| +12.6 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2021-10-22 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -1.6 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 | 2021-06-11 |
| -1.4 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2022-06-11 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 100% | top 5% | 148.3% | 148.3% |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 20% | 96.5% | 96.5% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 31% | 93.8% | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 83% | top 13% | 98.1% | 95% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60% | top 22% | 95.7% | 92.6% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 4% | 92.8% | 92.8% |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 80% | top 25% | 94.9% | 93.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 8 / 41 (347.4172) | 4 (176.5944) | 20 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2023-09-03 | Rib Double Dip (2) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2023-09-03 | Rib Double Dip (1) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 4 (170.2860) | — | — |
| 2023-08-25 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 9 / 26 (337.6456) | 16 (165.6684) | 5 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2023-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 9 / 33 (333.6228) | 5 (169.6684) | 15 (163.9544) | — | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 1 / 36 (345.6916) | 1 (171.9772) | 1 (173.7144) | — | — |
| 2022-06-24 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 1 / 36 (346.2400) | 3 (169.6800) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2022-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 1 / 23 (353.1084) | 1 (177.7028) | 2 (175.4056) | — | — |
| 2022-06-11 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 15 / 37 (329.6688) | 18 (164.5372) | 11 (165.1316) | — | — |
| 2022-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 6 / 39 (335.3600) | 6 (170.8228) | 11 (164.5372) | — | — |
| 2022-05-14 | BBQ, BLESSINGS & THE VFW (ONE MEAT RIBS) Oconomowoc, WI | — | — | 7 (159.9544) | — | — |
| 2021-10-22 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 2 / 44 (333.6460) | 3 (166.2400) | 2 (167.4060) | — | — |
| 2021-10-16 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 2 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 6 / 36 (339.9772) | 12 (167.4172) | 3 (172.5600) | — | — |
| 2021-10-15 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 16 / 40 (327.4060) | 12 (166.2400) | 21 (161.1660) | — | — |
| 2021-06-12 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI | 4 / 45 (344.6288) | 3 (175.4516) | 10 (169.1772) | — | — |
| 2021-06-11 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 22 / 52 (320.5144) | 15 (165.1200) | 26 (155.3944) | — | — |
| 2020-10-16 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 2 / 50 (334.2520) | 2 (166.2516) | 2 (168.0004) | — | — |
| 2019-10-11 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights(CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 20 / 43 (667.3024) | 12 (171.9884) | 17 (166.8228) | 32 (160.5256) | 20 (167.9656) |
| 2019-07-19 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL | 1 / 40 (339.4400) | 2 (171.4400) | 2 (168.0000) | — | — |
| 2019-06-22 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 23 / 45 (666.2172) | 12 (170.2628) | 8 (172.0000) | 17 (168.5600) | 38 (155.3944) |
| 2019-06-14 | Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL | 2 / 25 (341.6916) | 2 (170.8344) | 2 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2019-05-03 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 6 / 33 (681.6344) | 7 (173.1084) | 9 (167.9888) | 8 (170.8572) | 6 (169.6800) |
| Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware(BACKYARD ONLY) Decatur, IL | 1 / 22 (533.7716) | 1 (176.6172) | 1 (178.8572) | 1 (178.2972) | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #169 (279 pts) | #89 (731 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #517 (447 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #27 (1006 pts) | #29 (1021 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1050 (140 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #44 (794 pts) | #48 (734 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #47 (234 pts) | #49 (234 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #870 (328 pts) | #801 (413 pts) | #816 (398 pts) | #948 (313 pts) | #942 (318 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1476 (130 pts) | #1842 (95 pts) | #1771 (110 pts) | #1185 (235 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |